I'm not as tech-savvy as I thought

September 24, 2009 - Deb Gau

I have this theory that everyone has their own level of “gadget tolerance,” the amount of technology they’re willing to put up with in their daily lives. For example, a person might be okay with things like televisions and cars, but couldn’t care less about video games. That would be their limit. I’ve always thought of my own gadget tolerance as fairly high - I have days when I read more blogs than books, and I have a big, squishy soft spot for my iPod Nano. Not only can I fit a whole record collection’s worth of music on it, it’s so tiny and sleek and cute. How can you see one and not want it? Alas, I can’t. Not anymore. When I saw ads announcing the newest version of the Nano, complete with an eeny-weeny video camera and microphone built in, I reached the limit of my gadget tolerance.

It just seems like a step too far for me. Some of the new Nano features sound okay, like an FM radio tuner and a pedometer function. The iPod is basically like a digital Walkman anyway, so it makes sense to be able to turn on MPR and take it for a run. But using your shiny rainbow-colored Walkman to record notes to yourself? Or shoot video? A digital camera that small isn’t going to be good for anything but Youtube-quality videos. Do I really need more shaky, pixellated viral videos in my life right now?

I understand I’m complaining about the inevitable here. Sooner or later every gadget turns into a handheld PC - just look at the evolution of the cell phone. But if that’s the case, I’d rather wait around for the one miracle gadget that does *everything* for me than keep buying multiples.